Endless brush belts and methods of making same

ABSTRACT

An endless brush belt and methods of making the same are disclosed. The endless brush belt includes a belt body comprising a tension section having a plurality of laterally extending brush segments adhered thereto by a cyanoacrylate adhesive, a compression section, and a load-carrying section disposed between the tension section and the compression section. Each brush segment includes a plurality of bristles having free ends extending away from the belt body, and neighboring brush segments are disposed proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends about the length of the endless brush belt.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/944,198, filed Feb. 25, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to endless brush belts and methods of making the same, more particularly, to endless brush belts having a continuous density of brush members in the longitudinal direction of the belt.

BACKGROUND

Brush belts have been used for years in many industries to clean various surfaces such as conveyor belts, sweeping machines or to push an object forward. Current belts, see FIGS. 1A and 1B, have clusters or bunches of bristles 12 spaced apart from one another in various arrangements, but typically in rows transverse to the length of the brush belt. Accordingly, these brush belts have a discontinuous distribution of bristles across the belt, i.e., in the rows, which results in a segmented density of bristles. The clusters or bunches of bristles are typically stapled to the belt material or attached to a strip insertable into a channel in the belt material. Both methods provide brush belts that are less durable than desired.

With existing brush belts, in particular those that move an object using the bristles, such as a seed in a planter as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,960, it is always desirable to make longer lasting belts.

New methods of making brush belts are needed, especially brush belts having more efficient distribution of bristles, an improved tensile member, and a longer life.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, endless brush belts are disclosed that include a belt body comprising a tension section having a plurality of laterally extending brush segments adhered thereto by a cyanoacrylate adhesive, a compression section, and a load-carrying section disposed between the tension section and the compression section. Each brush segment includes a plurality of bristles having free ends extending away from the belt body, and neighboring brush segments are disposed proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends about the length of the endless brush belt. The cyanoacrylate adhesive may be a medium viscosity adhesive and may include an ethyl cyanoacrylate and one or more of a poly methyl methacrylate and a hydroquinone.

In one embodiment, the belt body is a vulcanized belt body that includes one or more of a natural rubber and a synthetic rubber, and the load carrying section comprises one or more longitudinally extending load carrying cords. The second major surface of the belt, opposite the first major surface, may include a plurality of raised features for engaging a driven member and/or a drive member.

The endless brush belt, in particular the belt body, may have a width of about 0.12 inch to about 2 inches and a thickness of about 50 mils to about 100 mils.

In another aspects, methods for manufacturing the endless brush belts are disclosed. The methods typically include providing a belt body comprising a tension section, a compression section, and a load-carrying section disposed between the tension section and the compression section, and adhering, with a cyanoacrylate adhesive, a plurality of brush segments to a first major surface of the belt body defined by the tension section. The plurality of brush segments are oriented transverse to the length of the endless brush belt and are disposed generally parallel and proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends about the length of the endless brush belt. In one embodiment, the belt body includes one or more of a natural rubber and a synthetic rubber.

The method may include steps for manufacturing the belt body, for example, molding the belt body using a vulcanization process.

The method may also include roughening the first major surface of the belt body before adhering the plurality of brush segments thereto and/or roughening a brush base of one or more of the brush segments before adhering each brush segments to the belt body.

In one embodiment, each brush segment may include a brush base opposite the free ends that has one or more exterior surface features to increase the adhesive between each brush segment and the belt body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are photographs of prior art brush belts having clusters or bunches of bristles in differing orientations of rows.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of one example of a continuous strand of bristles.

FIG. 3 is a photograph from a side plan view of an embodiment of an endless brush belt positioned about two pulleys for testing.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view photograph of a segment of the endless brush belt of FIG. 3 between the two pulleys having eighteen bristle segments.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of an embodiment of an endless brush belt transverse to the length of the belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of an endless brush belt are described below with reference to the accompanying figures. While the various features of this invention are hereinafter illustrated and described with reference to the figures, it is to be understood that the invention is broader in scope and not limited to just those embodiments that are pictured.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of a brush belt 100, which is an endless belt, entrained about a drive shaft 102 and a driven pulley 104. The brush belt 100, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 4-5, includes a belt body 106 having a plurality of brush segments 108 extending from a first major surface 122. The brush segments 108 are adhered to the belt body 106 by a cyanoacrylate adhesive. As seen in FIG. 5, the belt body 106 includes a tension section 110, a compression section 112, and a load-carrying section 114 disposed between the tension section 110 and the compression section 112, and has the plurality of laterally extending brush segments 108 adhered to a first major surface 122 defined by the tension section 110 by a cyanoacrylate adhesive 126. The belt body 106 also includes a second major surface 124 defined by the compression section 112. In one embodiment, the compression section 112 may include a plurality of members (not shown) for engaging a pulley. Still referring to FIG. 5, the load-carrying section 114 is coextensive with both the tension section 110 and the compression section 112. The load-carrying section 114 may include load-carrying cords 116. The load-carrying cords 116 may be any known cord material or hereinafter developed cord material designed and/or used for belt construction. Suitable load carrying cords are well known to one of skill in the art.

In one embodiment, the belt body 106 has a width W (labeled in FIG. 5) of about 0.12 inch to about 2 inches. In another embodiment, the belt body 106 has a width W of about 0.25 inch to about 1 inch. In another embodiment, the belt body 106 has a width W of about 0.5 inch to about 0.75 inch. In any of these embodiments, the belt body 106 has a thickness T (labeled in FIG. 5) of about 50 mils to about 100 mils, or about 60 mils to 90 mils, or about 70 mils to 80 mils.

The belt body 106, at least the first major surface 122 defined by the tension section 110, includes a vulcanized material to which the brush segments 108 are adhered. Typically, the vulcanized material is vulcanized during a molding process used to form the belt body 106 and may be or include a rubber component that includes one or more of ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPM), ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM), (partly) hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR), chloroprene rubber (CR), fluoro-rubber (FKM), natural rubber (NR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and butadiene rubber (BR). Various embodiments of blends of rubber components are possible and include, for example, a EPM/EPDM blend, a SBR/BR blend, a NR/SBR blend, and a NR/SB blend. The vulcanized material in addition to the rubber component may include a vulcanizing accelerator, a crosslinking agent, and other ingredients and/or additives such as, but not limited to, a filler, a processing aid, a plasticizer, an anti-aging agent, reinforcement materials such as fibers, pigments, and combinations of these various ingredients and additives.

As seen in the photograph provided as FIG. 2, the bristles 130 begin as a continuous strand 131 that is cut into a plurality of brush segments, generally designated by reference number 108 in FIGS. 4 and 5, each approximately equal to or slightly longer in length than the width of the belt body 106 and having the same general construction as the strand 131. The strand 131, FIG. 2, of bristles 130 has free ends 136 and bound ends 138. The bound ends 138 may be adhered or bound together, for example, by applying heat to melt or render tacky the material of the bristles or by inclusion of an adhesive material, which may be encased in a brush base 134. In addition to the bound ends 138, the strand 131 may also include stitching 132 more proximate the bound ends 138 than the free ends 136. The brush base 134 may include one or more exterior surface features (not shown) designed to increase the adhesion between each brush segment 108 and the belt body 106. The strand 131 may be manufactured as described in US 2012/0291214, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The bristles 130 may be individual shafts of material, or multifilaments, fibers, or yarns twisted or woven together. In one embodiment, the bristles are textured to provide the bristles more body, i.e., so that the bristles occupy more volume per unit area, which is beneficial to providing the continuous density of free ends of the bristles about the belt length. Regardless of the individual construction of the bristles 130, the brush segments 108 are laterally extending (i.e., transverse to) relative to the length of the belt 100 and are adhered to the belt body 106 by a cyanoacrylate adhesive 126 with the free ends 136 of the bristles 130 extending away from the belt body 106, and with neighboring brush segments 108 disposed proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends 136 about the length of the endless brush belt 100. It is understood that the continuous density of the free ends 136 is for the endless brush belt itself prior to installation.

In an installed configuration, such as shown in FIG. 3, the continuous density of the free ends 136 is at least present along generally straight portions of the belt between pulleys. Then, depending upon the diameter of each of the pulleys, the free ends of the bristles of adjacent brush segments 108 may be separated from one another for a reduced density for a portion about a pulley. This is beneficial in certain applications because it spreads the bristles apart such that any debris or article picked up by the continuous density of free ends is released (dropped) therefrom.

The bristles 130 may be any material utilized depending on the final operation to be performed by the brush belt 100, including crimped wire, plastic coated wire, plastic coated glass fibers, natural hairs such as horsehair, goat hair, etc., natural bristles, plant fibers, synthetic bristles such as nylon bristles, polypropylene bristles, etc., tarnpico fiber, plastic sheet material, and textile fabric buff material such as cotton cloth. Granular abrasive such as emery, pumice, and the like or other coatings may be bonded or applied to any of such brush materials for particular end use applications.

In one embodiment, the cyanoacrylate adhesive used to adhere the brush segments 108 to the belt body 106, FIGS. 4-5, is a medium viscosity adhesive as characterized by the manufacturer and includes an ethyl cyanoacrylate and one or more of a polymethyl methacrylate and a hydroquinone. In another embodiment, the cyanoacrylate adhesive is a medium viscosity adhesive that includes an ethyl cyanoacrylate, a polymethyl methacrylate and a hydroquinone. Suitable adhesives are commercially available such as LOCTITE® 4861™ PRISM® instant adhesive, flexible medium viscosity by Henkel A&G Co., Turbo Fuse Series 130PR Plastic & Rubber, 100 viscosity cyanoacrylate adhesive by Palm Laboratories, 600PR Instant Superglue Plastic & Rubber cyanoacrylate adhesive by Prairie Technology Group, Inc., Apollo 2240-05 cyanoacrylate adhesive by Cyberbond LLC.

One advantage to the above described brush belts is improved durability and extended life. The life expectancy of the endless brush belt when used in a planter, such as the planter discussed in the background section, is better than 100 hours and more preferably at least 500 hours.

With reference to FIG. 5, the endless brush belts disclosed herein may be manufactured by providing a belt body 106 comprising a tension section 110, a compression section 112, and a load-carrying section 114 as described above, which may also include firstly molding and/or curing the belt body 106 using a drum and/or mandrel as is known in the art, and adhering, with a cyanoacrylate adhesive 126, a plurality of brush segments 108 to a first major surface 122 of the belt body 106 defined by the tension section 110. The plurality of brush segments 108 are adhered to the belt body 106 transverse to the length of the endless brush belt 100 and are disposed generally parallel and proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends 136 of the bristles 130 about the length of the endless brush belt.

Prior to adhering the brush segments 108 to the belt body 106, the method may include cutting brush segments 108 from a continuous strand or roll of the same. The method may also include roughening the first major surface 122 of the belt body 106 before adhering the plurality of brush segments 108 thereto and/or roughening the brush base 134 before adhering the plurality of brush segments 108 to the belt body 106.

The method described may be utilized to form a single belt or to form a sleeve that was built and cured using a drum and/or mandrel, which may be many times the width of the desired endless brush belt 100. When a sleeve is made, before or after adhering the plurality of brush segments 108 thereto, the method includes slitting the sleeve into a plurality of individual belt widths. Further, prior to adhering the plurality of brush segments, regardless of being before or after slitting to belt widths, the roughening of the belt body 106 may include buffing, sanding, grinding, or fly cutting the tension section 110. The roughening of the brush base 134 may include scouring, sanding, buffing, or grinding. When the roughening of the belt body 106 is included in the method, the belt body may be made to have a thickness greater than the desired thickness such that a layer of cured material may be removed to eliminate any contaminants present on the belt surface from the molding process as well as to increase adhesion to the brush segments 108.

Having described the invention in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that numerous modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An endless brush belt comprising: a belt body comprising a tension section having a plurality of laterally extending brush segments adhered thereto by a cyanoacrylate adhesive, a compression section, and a load-carrying section disposed between the tension section and the compression section; wherein each brush segment includes a plurality of bristles having free ends extending away from the belt body, and neighboring brush segments are disposed proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends about the length of the endless brush belt.
 2. The endless brush belt of claim 1, wherein the belt body is a vulcanized belt body.
 3. The endless brush belt of claim 1, wherein the load carrying section comprises one or more longitudinally extending load carrying cords.
 4. The endless brush belt of claim 2, wherein the vulcanized belt body comprises one or more of a natural rubber and a synthetic rubber.
 5. The endless brush belt of claim 1, wherein a second major surface opposite the first major surface comprises a plurality of raised features for engaging a driven member and/or a drive member.
 6. The endless brush belt of claim 1, wherein the width of the belt body is about 0.12 inch to about 2 inches.
 7. The endless brush belt of claim 1, wherein the belt body is about 50 mils to about 100 mils thick.
 8. The endless brush belt of claim 1, wherein the cyanoacrylate adhesive is a medium viscosity adhesive.
 9. The endless brush belt of claim 8, wherein the cyanoacrylate adhesive comprises an ethyl cyanoacrylate and one or more of a poly methyl methacrylate and a hydroquinone.
 10. A method for manufacturing an endless brush belt, the method comprising: providing a belt body comprising a tension section, a compression section, and a load-carrying section disposed between the tension section and the compression section; adhering, with a cyanoacrylate adhesive, a plurality of brush segments to a first major surface of the belt body defined by the tension section, wherein the plurality of brush segments are oriented transverse to the length of the endless brush belt and are disposed generally parallel and proximate to one another to define a continuous density of the free ends about the length of the endless brush belt.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising molding the belt body using a vulcanization process.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the belt body comprises one or more of a natural rubber and a synthetic rubber.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising roughening the first major surface of the belt body before adhering the plurality of brush segments thereto.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the brush segments include a brush base opposite the free ends and the method further comprises roughening the brush base before adhering the plurality of brush segments to the belt body.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein each brush segment includes a brush base opposite the free ends and the brush base comprises one or more exterior surface features thereby increasing the adhesive between each brush segment and the belt body. 